Juxuries. Sugar, properly speaking, is the salt found in the juice or marrow of a certain reed, which is cultivated chiefly in Brazil and the neighbouring islands; but which also grows in great abundance in the East Indies, and some of the African islands. The preparation of sugar does not require much art, but is extremely laborious; and it is generally the employment of slaves. When the canes are ripe, they cut and carry them to the mill, to bruise and extract the juice from them. They first boil this juice, which would otherwise ferment and grow sour; while it is boiling, they skim it to take off any dirt. They re. peat this course four times in different cauldrons. To purify and clarify it the more, they throw it into a strong lye of wood ashes, and burning lime, and at last pour it into moulds, where it coagulates and dries.-Tea is but the leaf of a shrub which grows in Japan, China, and other Asiatic provinces. Three or four times during spring, these leaves are gathered. Those of the first crop are the finest flavoured and the most delicate. This is the imperial tea; but it never comes into Europe. That which the Dutch sell under that name is tea of the second crop.-Coffee is the stone of a fruit like a cherry, The tree which produces it is originally from Arabia; but it has been transplanted into several hot countries. Next to Arabia, it is best cultivated in the isle of Martinico. We call the stone in the middle of the fruit the berry. This berry, when fresh, is yellowish, or grey, or a pale green; and it preserves this colour in some degree when dry. They spread the fruit on mats to dry in the sun; and afterwards bruise it with rollers to force out the berries. This is what divides the berry in two. They again dry them in the sun before they put them on ship-board. The cloves are buds, or dried blossoms of a tree, which formerly grew without culture in the Molucca islands, but which the

Dutch have transplanted to Amboyna. This tree is of the size and shape of the bay-tree: its trunk is covered with bark, like that of the olive. White blossoms grow in tufts on the extremity of the branches, and look like a clove. The buds are at first of a pale green; afterwards they become yellow; then red; and at last a dark brown, such as we see them. They have a stronger and more aromatic smell than the mother clove, a name which marks the dry fruit of the tree.-Cinnamon is the second bark of a kind of bay tree, which scarce grows any where at present but in the island of Ceylon. The root of the cinnamon tree di vides into several branches. It is covered with a bark, grey without and red within. The leaf would a good deal resemble the laurel, if it was shorter and less pointed. The blossoms are small and white, of a very pleasing smell, very like the lily of the valley. When the tree is some years old, the two barks are taken off. The outer bark is good for nothing, and thrown away. The inner one is dried in the sun, where it rolls up of itself, about the size of a finger; and this is what we call cinnamon.-The nutmeg and mace come from the same tree, and grow in the Molucca islands. The nut is covered with three coats. The first falls off of itself when it is ripe. The second then appears, which is very thin and delicate. It is taken off with great care from the nut, and exposed to the sun to dry. This is called mace in the Molucca isles; though in other places improperly called nutmeg blossom. The third coat is immediately next the nutmeg. They take the nut out of its shell, and put it into lime-water for some days, and then it is properly prepared to send abroad. -Cotton grows in most of the countries of Asia, Africa, and America. It is inclosed in the fruit of a certain shrub. This fruit is a sort of pod, which, when ripe, opens a little, and shews a wad or flock of down, extremely white, which we call

cotton. When this pod is swelled by the heat, it becomes as large as an apple. With a little mill they separate the seed from the cotton. The seed falls out on one side, and the cotton on the other. They afterwards spin it for all sorts of work.Olive-oil is the juice squeezed out of that fruit, which grows so abundantly in France, Spain, Portugal, and Italy, that there are whole forests of olive-trees. The inhabitants of the provinces where there are many of these trees, make use of this oil instead of butter; because they have not much cattle, as the extreme heat dries up the grass.-Pepper is the fruit of a shrub, the stalk of which requires a prop to support it. Its wood is. knotty like the vine, which it much resembles. Its leaves, which have a very strong smell, are of an oval form, and terminate in a point. In the middle, and at the ends of the branches, there are white blossoms, from whence spring fruit in clusters, like the gooseberry. Each Each cluster bears twenty or thirty seeds.

It is no small satisfaction to a reflecting mind, to think of the great variety of provision, intended not only to supply our wants, but our pleasure also. Let us reflect on the profusion of blessings which are granted us by Divine Goodness. Behold how every country contributes to furnish us with the necessaries and the conveniences of life. They labour for us in the most remote countries; and those miserable beings, alas! who deserve as well as we to lead a happy life, and to eat their bread in peace, they by their hard labour prepare for us those delicacies which we so profusely consume. If we do not reflect on our heavenly Benefactor, let us at least think of the instruments he makes use of to procure us our subsistence. But how can we forget God, who every where provides for us, and signalizes his goodness towards ns over the whole earth.

SEPT. XV.

Reflections on Myself.

I AM alive; my blood circulates, without my knowing how, through my veins which are formed for that purpose with wonderful art. I can enjoy the sweets of sleep; and, in that insensible state, even when this body appears motionless and lifeless, my soul still exists. I awake; my' senses resume their functions, and my soul receives clearer and more lively impressions. I eat, I drink; and, on all sides surrounded with the beauties and treasures of nature, I experience a thousand pleasing sensations. Am I the cause of these effects? Did I give to the first principles, the first lineaments of my body, this wonderful motion? when I was plunged in nothingness, and knew not what motion was! Did I form the many different parts of my body, I who do not even now know their arrangement and combination? Was I wiser, or had I more knowledge, before I existed, or did my existence proceed from my thinking principle? How is it that I cannot determine the period of sleep and waking? What is the mechanism of my stomach, which digests food without my directing, or in any way contributing towards it? and how is this digestion contrived? why are all creatures of my species formed as I am? and why did I not form my. self differently? Did I create all the beauties of nature, or did they also produce themselves? What makes me susceptible of pleasure and grief? What is it that makes the bread to grow in the ground, and the water to spring up, that my body may not wither away, nor my limbs lose their motion? Who sends rays of light to fall upon my eyes, that I may not be enveloped in eternal

darkness? From whence proceed the blessings I experience, and from whence the pain and grief of which I am sensible? Why do I not enjoy continual health? And why was I so cruel to myself, as to form myself with so many imperfections? Does every thing proceed from me? Have I power and activity enough for that? and are all my fellow-creatures endowed with the same faculties? Extravagant and inconsistent thoughts, which betray the perverseness of those who indulge them. My soul, limited and imperfect as it is, declares the greatness of that Being who formed it: a necessary Being, of infinite perfection, on whom I entirely depend. This body which I bear, and the construction, of which I am not myself acquainted with, shews, that it must have a wise Maker, whose greatness my weak understanding cannot fathom; and who has formed and placed so admirably all those muscles, nerves, veins, in a word, all the parts of which I am composed. How could man, who is so weak and limited a being, conceive and exe. cute the original of a machine so composed, and so artfully constructed, the parts of which are con nected with such harmony, he who is not able even to copy or make an exact representation of it? There is not the smallest particle of our bodies for which there is not a reason, and which is not either absolutely necessary, or at least made such by the connection with the other parts. Ex. perience, as well as reason, proves this beyond a doubt; and certainly the Creator must be infinitely great, since I am not the only being who may glory in having been formed with so much wisdom, and with such wonderful art. Millions such as me, innumerable multitudes of animate and inanimate creatures, seem to cry out with one voice, Behold the invisible God, acknowledge him in his works; behold his greatness and perfection displayed in all of us. Reflect on the most insig